Soon enough there will be no more need for scraps of Scriptures to be passed on to Christians in Cuba, thanks to the Canadian Bible Society (CBS) which is set to provide a million copies of the Holy Bible to the people of the Caribbean communist nation in the next 18 months.
Alain Montano Hdez, leader of the Cuban Biblical Commission, disclosed that the CBS is planning to donate a million copies of the Bible to Cuba, which is experiencing unprecedented growth of Christianity.
"This is a country where scraps of Scripture have been passed on pieces of paper hand-to-hand between believers, because Bibles just were not available,'' Hdez said, according to the Gospel Herald.
Pastor Joel Ortega Dopico, head of the Cuban Christian group, noted that Cuba's church, just like those of any other developing nations, is short of resources and could not make Bibles available to the increasing number of Christians.
"There are far more believers than there are Bibles,'' Pastor Dopico said. "Our initiative with our partner Million Bible Mission in Cuba will help to put a Bible in the hands of over a million Cuban Christians.''
According to Gospel Herald, Canadians make up the majority of foreign visitors to Cuba, and have been cheering for church congregants who are flourishing under difficult conditions on the Caribbean isle.
Reg Graves, Development officer for CBS, said that since the initiative was started, they have been getting several "thank yous'' for their Bible donation especially during their recent visit to Cuba.
"They would testify while hugging their Bibles and tears running down their cheeks, saying 'thank you, thank Canadian Bible Society for making this happen,'' said Graves.
According to its website, the Million Bible Mission is an initiative of the American Bible Society's Cuban project that seeks to reach five distinct audiences: school-aged children receiving their first Bible; teens and college-age youth; adult new believers; prisoners; and seminary students and clergy.
CBS managers have urged Canadians to participate in providing Bibles to the tropical, yet impoverished, island which is a popular vacation destination to travelers particularly Canadian.
Many supporters have responded to the CBS Bible initiative and lauded the group on social media, according to news reports.
"May not only the sun shine in Cuba, but, may also the sun shine His Glory and Righteousness there. I pray that many there see the Light of Jesus Christ,'' said one of them.
Stacey Noble shared online that she will never forget the looks on the faces of Haitian missionary students receiving their own French Bibles. "Jumping, singing, praising God. To think so many had lived their whole lives without one. Thank you, Canadian Bible Society."
Cuba has a population of 11 million with nearly 100 percent literacy rate. Christianity is reportedly growing at a pace of between 10 percent to 15 percent each year despite reports of massive persecution against minorities in the country.
